With that said, there are some designers, and brave homeowners, who see the value in going with a stained shutter or a painted shutter that is lime, or black, or red, etc. In these instances, the results can be stunning, especially when built into a theme - like a cabin - or a modern theme with dark black shutters - or a restaurant where red shutters set an ambiance - or even a wood stain that matches the new wood floors throughout.
However, this option is not for the faint of heart. A skilled and experienced designer can usually pull this off and most homeowners are conservative enough with their choices that color and stain work well. However, occasionally, someone will come along insisting on a certain look - usually a very dark stain - only to have major stress and angst once the product is installed - because it is too dark. Of course, at this point custom product has to be reordered at additional expense - and a stressed homeowner and retailer have to work it out.
Bottom line - white is best for the faint of heart - color is best for the skilled designer - stain is best for the right application with a confident homeowner.
We would love to help you with your plantation shutter project. Also, for a rough idea of what your plantation shutter project might cost - visit our online plantation shutter cost calculator.